→ See the live ingredient breakdown for Taste of the Wild Puppy
What's actually in TOTW Puppy?
We analyzed Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy Grain-Free with Roasted Bison & Venison. The first five ingredients are water buffalo, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, egg product, and garbanzo beans.
Water buffalo (the same protein AAFCO designates as "bison") in the #1 slot is a genuine novel protein — it's less common in dog food than chicken, beef, or lamb, which makes it useful for puppies prone to food sensitivities. Lamb meal at #2 is concentrated animal protein (roughly 3x the density of whole lamb), adding amino acid completeness that water buffalo alone wouldn't supply.
The carbohydrate base uses sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, peas, and pea flour — no grains. For a puppy, this can be either a feature or a neutral choice depending on sensitivity. Sweet potatoes deliver beta-carotene, fiber, and complex carbohydrates. Garbanzo beans add plant protein and B vitamins. The legume-heavy profile is something owners should be aware of given ongoing FDA discussion about DCM and grain-free diets (discussed below). Shop on Amazon →
The good stuff
Salmon oil is the notable addition — a direct source of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids. Puppies require DHA for brain and eye development during the first 12 months, and salmon oil is one of the best bioavailable sources. This is a stronger omega-3 profile than most puppy formulas include.
The five-strain probiotic blend — Lactobacillus plantarum, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Enterococcus faecium, and Bifidobacterium animalis — is unusually comprehensive. Puppy guts are still developing their microbiome in the first 6 months, and probiotic-supplemented diets have shown measurable benefit for stool quality, immune function, and the transition from mother's milk to solid food.
Egg product is in position #4 — one of the highest-quality protein sources on the planet (biological value ~100) and an excellent fit for rapid-growth puppyhood. Combined with water buffalo, lamb meal, roasted bison, roasted venison, and fish meal, the formula delivers five distinct animal-protein sources. Amino acid completeness is essentially guaranteed. Chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, not BHA/BHT) provides energy-dense fat without questionable preservatives.
The not-so-good stuff
The legume load — peas, pea flour, garbanzo beans — is worth flagging. In 2018, the FDA opened an investigation into whether legume-heavy grain-free diets were correlated with nutritional dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs. Subsequent research has been mixed and inconclusive, but the hypothesis remains that high-legume formulas may interfere with taurine metabolism in genetically susceptible breeds (goldens, cockers, Doberman, and a handful of others). This formula does include supplemental taurine, which addresses the most plausible mechanism. But if you own a breed on the DCM watch list, discuss grain-free choices with your vet.
The protein splitting is present — peas + pea flour count separately on the ingredient list but are effectively the same ingredient. This is standard industry practice for legume-inclusive formulas, but it does inflate the perceived meat-to-plant ratio.
No dedicated glucosamine or chondroitin inclusion. For giant-breed puppies (projected adult weight over 100 lb) entering rapid orthopedic growth phases, added joint-support ingredients can be defensible. TOTW Puppy relies on the natural cartilage and connective tissue content of the meat-based ingredients rather than supplementation.
How it compares
TOTW High Prairie Puppy's B/78 grade matches TOTW adult High Prairie (B/78) and Blue Buffalo Puppy (B/78). All three are at the top of the mainstream puppy food tier on our rubric.
Against the vet-recommended options, TOTW Puppy scores well ahead. Hill's Science Diet Puppy (C/58) sits 20 points lower due to wheat, corn, and corn gluten meal in the top ingredients. Iams Smart Puppy (B/75) is close but trails by 3 points due to the chicken by-product meal inclusion.
For the head-to-head, see our Taste of the Wild Puppy vs Taste of the Wild comparison — the clearest illustration of how the puppy and adult formulas differ.
Puppy nutrition and the grain-free DCM conversation
Taste of the Wild Puppy sits in the complicated segment of grain-free puppy foods that have been at the center of the FDA's ongoing investigation into diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The story matters specifically for puppies because early-life dietary patterns have longer compound exposure and because certain breeds are at meaningfully elevated risk.
The DCM connection emerged in 2018 when FDA began receiving reports of DCM in dogs without a known genetic predisposition to the disease, with a statistical concentration in dogs eating grain-free foods that use peas, lentils, chickpeas, or potatoes as the primary carbohydrate source. Taste of the Wild's grain-free formulations use sweet potato, peas, and chickpeas — the legume-forward profile FDA flagged. Subsequent research has not conclusively demonstrated causation, but the statistical signal is real enough that AVMA recommends discussing grain-free feeding with a vet for breeds at elevated DCM risk: Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Great Danes, Doberman Pinschers, Boxers, Cocker Spaniels, and Newfoundlands specifically. For a puppy of one of these breeds, the grain-free pattern should be an informed decision, not a default.
Taurine sufficiency is the proposed mechanism underlying the grain-free DCM signal. Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid that dogs can synthesize (unlike cats), but certain breeds and certain dietary patterns reduce synthesis efficiency or increase loss. Legume-heavy diets appear to interfere with taurine availability through mechanisms that aren't fully characterized. Taste of the Wild doesn't supplement taurine in its puppy formulas; for at-risk breeds, supplementation via a multivitamin containing taurine is defensible preventive nutrition, though it should be discussed with a vet.
Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in TOTW Puppy sits within all-life-stages limits, but the line doesn't include a dedicated Large Breed Puppy (LBP) variant. For puppies projected to reach 70+ lb at maturity, the tighter LBP calcium ceiling (AAFCO maximum 1.8% dry matter, Ca:P 1:1 to 1.4:1) is the appropriate target, and TOTW Puppy's all-size formulation should be verified with customer service for specific dry-matter calcium content before using for a large-breed puppy long-term. Premium LBP-specific alternatives exist (Orijen Large Breed Puppy, Wellness CORE Large Breed Puppy) that address this gap directly.
DHA content is strong in TOTW Puppy — salmon and fish meal provide marine-source omega-3s at levels that compete with premium competitors. For puppy retinal and cognitive development, the DHA contribution is genuinely among the better mid-premium choices, not a compromise. Published canine research (Heinemann, 2008; Zicker, 2012) demonstrated measurable trainability improvements in DHA-supplemented puppies through adolescence, and TOTW's inclusion levels clear the clinically meaningful threshold.
Feeding-frequency math for TOTW Puppy follows standard puppy guidance: toy-breed puppies 4 meals per day through 12 weeks (hypoglycemia risk), small-breed 3–4 meals per day through 4 months, medium and large 3 meals per day through 3 months and 2 per day after 6 months. Caloric density at approximately 370 kcal/cup supports these schedules with portion adjustment based on body condition every 2 weeks.
Transition to adult formula tracks growth-plate closure: 9–11 months small, 12–16 months medium, 16–20 months large, 20–24 months giant. For DCM-susceptible breeds specifically, the transition to adult is also the natural checkpoint for revisiting the grain-free question with the vet — the risk/benefit calculation may be different in adulthood than it was in puppyhood.
Who should choose TOTW Puppy
TOTW Puppy makes sense for puppies with suspected grain sensitivities (itching, loose stools, chronic ear infections), for owners seeking novel protein sources to reduce allergy risk, and for puppies of any size who benefit from the five-strain probiotic profile during microbiome development. Medium and large breeds do well on this formula. For giant-breed puppies (over 100 lb projected adult weight), discuss calcium levels with your vet — controlled calcium below 1.8% dry matter matters at that extreme. For DCM-susceptible breeds (goldens, cockers, Dobermans), discuss grain-free choices with a vet before committing long-term.
The bottom line
Taste of the Wild High Prairie Puppy earns a B grade (78/100) from KibbleIQ. Five animal protein sources, DHA-rich salmon oil, comprehensive probiotic coverage, and grain-free carbohydrates (sweet potatoes, legumes) make it one of the cleaner mainstream puppy foods. The legume load and DCM investigation history are the meaningful caveats. For most puppies — especially those with grain sensitivities — this is a strong choice at a reasonable premium price point. Shop on Amazon →